Straining the Coalition

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It’s been a rough week for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. And it’s only Tuesday. First Spain, now Honduras, is announcing it will pull its troops from the country. And with other countries like New Zealand questioning its commitment, “the coalition of the willing” is looking a little weak in the knees, leaving the Bush administration vulnerable to criticism that its much vaunted international force isn’t much more than window dressing on an American mission.

This hour, as concerns grow over whether U.S. partners in Iraq will stay the course or cut and run, we hear the latest from Madrid, Rome, Beijing, and Washington.

Guests:

Jeremy Shapiro, Brookings Institution

Daniel Trotta, Madrid correspondent, Reuters

Piero Benetazzo, correspondent, La Repubblica

Rob Gifford, Beijing correspondent, National Public Radio